Lian Si: We can't be too explicit in ideological work for young people, 2015.05.08

We can't be too explicit in ideological work for young people

This article was published on May 4th Youth Day by the Party’s newspaper Study Times

The author is Lian Si, director of Youth Development Research Center at University of International Business and Economics, director of Secretary at Beijing University’s China and the World Research Center. He is a very young scholar, born in 1980.

1, Looking around the world, we could see that growing in the increasingly synchronized and globalized setting, young people’s identification base is not old family tradition, local customs or ethnic characters anymore; rather, the soft environment of modern broadcasting and hard environment of industrialization are increasingly becoming the decisive forces to guide the youth all over the world. Standardized industrialization creates similar working environment and it is replacing localized production; modernized and pragmatic broadcasting is also replacing grandiose political ideology. These two new forces erase geographical differences. They are creating a new social spatial structure. The standard of its boundaries is based on youth people’s work and lifestyle, value system and rights to appeal. in this new space, people’s old identities are fading and new identities are slowly emerging. People’s identification, self-labeling and sense of belonging will change as well. This is serious challenge for the existing constructor of ideology.

1, 放眼世界，今天的青年成长在日益同步的全球化背景下，构成其认同基础的，不再仅仅是家族传统、地区习俗、民族特征，现代传播营造的软环境和工业生产打造的硬环境正迅速成为引导全世界青年的决定性力量。工业标准化生产以相似的生活工作环境和方式取代传统的就地取材各具特色，现代传播则用生活化的意识形态取代传统的宏大政治。借此，这两股新力量消弭了地理空间的差异，同时建立了新的社会空间格局，其界限标准是依附于身份的工作生活方式、价值理念和权利诉求。在这一新的空间中，人们旧有的身份将逐渐淡化，新身份将逐渐凸显，人们的认同、标签、归属感，都将随之改变。对于既有的意识形态建构者，这将是一个严峻的挑战。

2, If our ideological propaganda wants to impress and engage with young people, we can’t make it too explicit or the political attitude too stiff. Concepts, themes and attitudes need to be hidden in materials, plots and details. We need to touch people’s minds and hearts. In ideological work, we don’t lack correct themes or core values, but we lack a good way of expression and the capability to broadcast. There is also ideology in the West -- it is just they are very good at expressing themselves. Some American films are of large scale and there are engaging plots, tearing details and inspirational thoughts. After watching them, people get excited or lose sleep and eventually come to the realization that the US is so good. It becomes an active choice. Actually, this is “invisible” ideological work.

2, 我们的思想宣传工作要具有感染青年的魅力，就不能把意识形态弄得很暴露，政治态度搞得很生硬。观念、主题、态度要深深隐藏在素材、情节和细节之中，一看都是人同此心、心同此理。在宣传思想工作中，我们并不缺乏正确的主题，也不缺少核心价值，而是缺少一种表达的本领和传播的能力。西方也讲意识形态，只是他们很善于表达。有些美国电影制作庞大、情节跌宕起伏、催人泪下、引人深思，看了之后，热血沸腾、夜不能寐，最后觉得美国真好，变成一种自觉的选择。实际上，这叫“看不见”的意识形态工作。

3, Currently our ability to have this kind of “invisible” ideological work is far from good enough. This needs creation, delicate design and subtle ways of expression. In a nutshell, when we engage with the youth, we need to convince them with the forces of science, truth and intelligence, rather than big words, vague words and packaged words. We should take advantage of knowledge and thoughts, and touch youth with real stories and plain languages. We should hide mainstream ideology in storylines and parachute abstract ideology in real life scenarios. Therefore mainstream ideology will traverse between rational concepts and sensual knowledge, and there will be communication and dialogue between mainstream ideology and young people. Eventually we strive for maximum consensus.

3, 我们目前搞“看不见”的意识形态工作本领还远远不够，这就需要创意，需要精致的构思设计和巧妙的表达传播。总之，我们做青年工作，一定要学会用科学的力量、真理的力量、思想的力量来说服人，而不是拿大话、空话、套话来压人。我们应当利用知识优势和思想优势，用鲜活的故事和朴实的话语打动青年，把主旋律像小说一样隐藏在故事和人物之中，把抽象的意识形态观念蕴含在生动活泼的表现形式之中，才能使主流意识形态超越理性概念与感性意识的间隔，实现主流意识形态同青年价值观的沟通对话，在最大程度上争取共识。